Rotary turbine type hydraulic transmission



May 31, 1949. E. w. TOMBS 2,471,799

ROTARY TURBINE TYPE HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION Filed 001;. 19, 1945 [flue/77 Edward 747. Tom 66,

Patented May 31, 1949 sures PATENT OFFICE ROTARY. TURBINE TYPE HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION Edward. Wt Tombs, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application October 19, 1945, Serial No. 623,273

1 Claim; 1'

This instant invention relates to hydraulic mechanism for transmitting power from a pri mary rotating shaft to a pair of secondary shafts in order that the latter maybe driven in opposite directions; the apparatus hereinafter being described being intended more particularly for the propulsion of helicopters or Autogi'ros, but by no means limited to such use.

In aircraft" of the types referred to, certain serious" difficulties and disadvantages have been encountered, among which may bementioned the following:

In helicopters generally, where but one propellingandlifting unit has been employed"; the power mechanism driving the propeller has created such a torque. between it and the body of the machine as to make the craft inoperative.

The. main object of the invention is to provide a power take-off from a. single? source of power to a pair of shafts. rotating in opposite directions and carrying propellers. In such an arrangement the torques developed substantially balance one another. 1

With this andother objects in view, thie invention consists in certain novel-features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Fora complete understanding of my invention reference i-sto behad to the accompanying drawinginwhich:

Figure 1 is a, central sectional elevation of the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the horizontal partition between the turbine chambers.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing in which like characters of reference designate like or similar parts, 2 indicates a driven motor shaft journaled in the outer bearing 3 which is supported on the outer side and centrally of an outer vertical housing wall 4. The inner end of this shaft is journaled in a bearing 3 supported centrally of an inner housing wall or vertical partition 6.

To the portion of the shaft between the bearings and walls referred to is fixed the cylindrical hub portion 1 of a pump rotor which also includes a plurality of curved blades 9 radiating from the hub with an outwardly increasing pitch of such 2 direction that during rotation of the pump rotor in the sense of the arrow (Figs. 2-4) the left-hand end of the outer edge of a blade appearsto-a viewer of Figure 2 ahead of the right-hand or inner end.

This construction of the pump rotor orimpeller wheel directs the fluid, preferably oil, toil-ow in a direction normal to the plane defined by the outer end of a pump rotor blade when in its top or bottom position above or below the motor shaft and through an opening in in the upper part. of the partition 6. (Fig. 2) The edge of the opening remote from the motor shaft is curved towards the pump rotor and the edge near the shaft is curvedaway from the pump rotor. Through this opening theliquid vehicle enters: an upper turbine. chamber. enclosed by a top housinglwall l2 which is connected to. the upper ends of the. nd wall 4, partition ii-and rear wall l3.

The latter connects the rear edges of the. walls 4 and 6. andextends tothe right beyond the latter (Fig. 2) and mergesintoa semi-cylindrical. wall It. Thetopchamber is further enclosedby a horizontal: partition l5 which is separately-- shown in Figure 5.

The portion l 6 of the partition 6 in front of the motor shaft and above the horizontal partition has a; curvature conforming to the peripheral general contour of the upper turbine wheel still to be described and rotatable about a vertical axis. This portion of the partition is therefore the segment of a cylinder described about the axis of the upper turbine wheel and terminates at its front end to provide an outlet opening between its inner front edge and the front end of the semicylindrical housing Wall I4. The same merges at its front end into a substantially fiat vertical outlet wall 18 which is supported at its lower end by a narrow horizontal Wall 20 lying in the plane of the horizontal partition described and extending from an intermediate horizontal line on a front wall 22 which also encloses the lower turbine chamber still to be described. This front end wall has above the horizontal partition a curved portion 24 connected to the vertical front edge of the partition section [6. The portion 26 of the top Wall l2 extends beyond the front wall 22 to the vertical outlet wall 18 (Fig. 4) and also extends beyond the end wall 4 to a vertical wall 28 the rear end of which is connected to the former and the front end of which connects with the left-end of the outlet wall. Figure 2 shows the outlet of the upper turbine chamber and also an opening 30 in the upper part of the end wall 4 3 and in front of the motor shaft. This opening returns the liquid to the pump rotor.

Within the upper turbine chamber described is an upper turbine rotor which includes a tubular hub 32. Curved, but pitchless blades 33 radiate from said hub and are impelled by the liquid entering through the opening ill in the partition 6. The turbine hub is journaled in a bearing 3 mounted on the top of and surroundin a hub opening formed in the top wall.

The lower turbine chamber is a substantial duplicate of the upper turbine chamber and is distinguished therefrom by the reversal of the relative location of the inlet and outlets and is indicated by the corresponding reference characters used in denoting the details of the upper chamber. This reversal is required by the fact that the liquid enters the lower chamber in front of the motor shaft to rotate the solid lower turbine shaft 36 in the opposite direction. The lower end of said shaft is journaled in a bearing 3 supported upon the lower side of the bottom housing wall 31 which is a substantial duplicate of the top wall. The blades differ from the blades of the upper turbine wheel only by the direction of their curvature and extend from a hub 38 rigid with its staft. The upper portion of the same extends through a hole 39 in the horizontal partition and is journaled within the cup like lower end of the hub sleeve 32 of the upper turbine and extends like the former above the housing.

The same is made of separate sections to permit the assembly of the entire structure.

The mechanism described and illustrated transmits rotation to two telescopically related shafts each intended to carry an air propeller at its upper end. The device, however, is not limited to the use described. 'Both shafts derive their power form the same source.

An aircraft sustained in flight by propellers driven as described will permit the craft to readily ascend and descend vertically and to maintain normal flight forwardly when desired.

I am aware that the particular embodiment of my invention above described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, is susceptible of considerable variations without departing from the spirit thereof, and therefore I desire to claim my invention broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

In a fluid power transmission, the combination, which comprises a power impeller, a driving shaft on which said impeller is mounted, said impeller having angularly positioned blades, a housing associated with said impeller, a plurality of turbines associated with said impeller and positioned to be operated in opposite directions thereby, said turbines rotatable about a common axis with the axis thereof positioned at a right angle 'to the axis of the impeller, the blades of one of .said'turbines positioned opposite to the blades of the other wherein one turbine is adapted for rotation in a clockwise direction and the other in a counter-clockwise direction, a shaft upon which one of said turbines is mounted, a tubular shaft surrounding the shaft upon which the turbine is mounted providing mounting means for the other turbine, a casing having individual compartments for each of said turbines associated with the housing of said impeller, said caslng including a partition separating the compartments thereof from the housing, said partition having inlet openings with deflecting lips providing communicating means between the impeller housing and turbine compartments, one of said inlet openings positioned to admit fluid to one turbine and another of said inlet openings positioned to admit fluid to the other turbine, and return connections from said turbine compartments to the side of the impeller housing opposite to that in which the inlet openings are positioned.

EDWARD W. TOMBS.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden Mar. 9, 1926 

